


Two As One

by Cagedbird30



Series: Prompts and Requests [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Endgame, Gallavich, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Roommates, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 08:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12229575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cagedbird30/pseuds/Cagedbird30
Summary: Answering the prompt: AU where people age until they reach the age of 18 and then stop aging until they meet their soulmate so they can grow old together."One day, you will find that pairing soul. It will be a feeling beyond your imagination. You can't help it but adore them. You will feel your whole heart melt for this person. This beautiful soul will bring you joy, laughter, calmness and so much inspiration, that you will finally see hope in front of you." - Carlos Medina





	Two As One

**Author's Note:**

> It's worth noting that in this universe, the body doesn't age right away when you meet your soulmate. It takes time. Also the older you are, the faster it happens. Though, this doesn't technically apply to our boys.

Ian Gallagher is sitting next to his long-term boyfriend of 5 years, when he has a horrible realization. They are in the living room, watching movies after a long week. It’s Friday and this is how they normally spend it. He stares at Logan for a long moment, so long that his boyfriend turns to him and gives him a small curious smile. Ian returns it and looks away. His smile immediately diminishes. It’s been 5 years and he hasn’t aged a day, neither has his boyfriend. It could only mean one thing: they aren’t each other’s soulmate. The thought sits in a pit inside Ian’s stomach. It is so devastating that the redhead feels he may throw up at that very moment.

Ian can feel tears creeping up to the surface, he stares up at the ceiling and blinks them back.

“What’s wrong?” Logan asks. He puts a hand on Ian’s shoulder, his concern rises as he looks at how pale the redhead has become.

Ian swallows. “Us,” the word barely manages to escape his lips.

Logan’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He thinks he says it in a careful manner, but in reality he just blurts it out loud. "We haven't aged, not one fucking day."

It is Ian's biggest fear. He had been so head over heels for the man, that he had never considered him not being the one.

\------

Two days later, Logan moves out and Ian is left devastated. The argument had been nasty, he didn't expect it to be otherwise. Logan didn't understand why Ian would give up on them, just for a soulmate myth. Except it wasn't a myth, it was a true legend. A legend as old as time.

For as long as he had been taught about soulmates, Ian Gallagher has dreamt of nothing more than meeting his. It wasn't easy for him, he was a gay boy in the southside of Chicago. The minute he was given the opportunity to leave, he did. He moved into the Northside and hadn't really looked back.

With a throbbing heart, and headache to match, Ian asks for the next couple of days off from work. He's already graduated from college, he has a stable job in a hospital. He has more than most people can ask for, but even then he feels empty.

Three more days pass by. Ian eventually decides to keep himself busy. He cleans everything. He goes grocery shopping, paints the apartment, and almost decides to adopt a dog, eventually deciding against it.

After a careful look at his finances, he decides to put an ad up for a roommate. Logan used to pay half of the expenses, and now that he was gone, Ian needed to find an alternative.

He holds the interviews the very next day, eager to at least have some company. 

To say the interviews were a catastrophe would be an understatement. The first guy that comes in has a nervous twitch and is obsessed with anime. The next person is a goth girl with a cat. He hates cats so he dismisses her as well.

Ian interviews several more people. None of them are quite right... most are borderline insane. He is about to throw in the towel when he hears a knock at the door. He runs his fingers through his fiery-red hair and takes a deep breath. He opens the door and is met with the bluest eyes he thinks he has ever seen. He is pretty sure that both the sky and the ocean envy this man's eyes.

The stranger holds up a crumbled up piece of paper. "Ian, right?" he asks, his eyes lock with Ian's. For a moment Ian loses his ability to speak, all he manages to do is give a weak nod.

"I'm Mickey," the blue-eyed man says. Ian finally regains his senses and moves out of the way, allowing the other man to enter.

Ian gestures to the sofa and Mickey sits down. "Alright man, here's the deal. I saw your ad. My contract on my current place is ending tomorrow. I'm kinda desperate. I always pay my shit on time, I'm usually at work, and I listen to my music with headphones on. So what do you say?" Mickey stares at him with slightly concerned eyes.

"You're hired!" Ian exclaims. He immediately regrets his stupid comment and physically winces. 

Mickey chuckles lightly. His smile is beautiful. "Didn't know I was applying for a job," he teases in a friendly manner.

"Sorry. It's been kind of a shit show before you got here. Honestly, you're the closest to normal I've seen today," Ian confesses, shrugging his shoulders.

"Jeez, if I'm normal then you must have been meeting aliens," he replies. Something in his tone almost makes Ian think he's serious. 

Ian gives Mickey his landlord's information so he can be added to the lease. They agree Mickey will move-in tomorrow and both men stand and shake one another's hand to seal the deal. Ian's eyes fall to Mickey's hands. They are rough and calloused but even more surprisingly are the tattoos on his knuckles. Ian smiles to himself, feeling as if he's back home in the southside.

As fast as Mickey comes, he leaves.

Ian begins to get ready for work. He's overjoyed at having finally found a roommate and getting his mind off of Logan.

\------

Mickey ends up being a great roommate, though Ian hardly sees him. Ian works the night shift at the hospital and Mickey works in the day as a mechanic in the outskirts of the city. They don't see one another during the week but they both don't work weekends.

Ian would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about his new roommate. 

On Saturday morning, Ian wakes up and begins making breakfast. It is his favorite meal of the day. He had gone out with a few co-workers the night before and needed a strong meal to recover.

He has his headphones in so he doesn't hear Mickey sit down at the dining room table. He turns around and jumps at the sight of the other man. 

"Jesus Christ, Gallagher. You sure scare easy," Mickey comments. A shit-eating grin is spread across his perfect face. It was easy to tell he had just woken up. His short black hair was sticking up in every direction.

Ian takes off his headphones and scowls at the other man. "I didn't see you. You shouldn't walk around like a ninja, Mickey."

Mickey rolls his eyes. "I've been here for the past 5 minutes... any who, are those banana pancakes? because I'm starving," he says, rubbing his tummy for emphasis.

The redhead nods and sets down a giant stack of at least 20 pancakes. He also sets down a plate with a few sticks of butter and a bottle of maple syrup.

Ian tilts his chin forward. "dig in," he says. Mickey doesn't hesitate. He groans in delight as he gets a taste of the first bite of pancakes. A few minutes later he's all done. He burps loudly and smiles. "God damn Gallagher, that was fucking fantastic," he praises.

The redhead smiles from ear to ear at the confidence booster. Growing up with 5 other siblings had made him an expert in the kitchen.

Mickey plays with a toothpick in his teeth and watches as Ian finishes his food in the calmest manner. "So, uh, what led you to finding a new roommate?" Mickey asks, breaking the peaceful silence.

Ian takes a moment to finish chewing his food before answering. 

"I broke up with my ex," he says quietly, not meeting Mickey's gaze.

"Oh, yeah? How come? Was she psycho or something?"

He isn't sure how to answer Mickey. He opts for the truth because if Mickey is a homophobe, he might as well find out now.

"No, he was great actually. I broke up with him because he wasn't my soulmate."

Ian's heart is beating painfully hard against his chest as he waits for Mickey to respond. The brunet chews at the inside of his lip before replying.

"Good God, you're one of those soulmate seeking lunatics, aren't ya?" Mickey asks, scratching at his eyebrow. "How do you know he wasn't your soulmate anyways? Aging doesn't happen overnight, man. Maybe you needed to give it more time."

Ian feels relief wash over him like a warm bath. Though Mickey's response isn't perfect, it is better than he imagined.

"We had been together for 5 years," he explains.

"Shit," Mickey says.

Something about Mickey's comment makes Ian's mind circle back. "So, I'm guessing you don't believe in soulmates?"

Mickey sighs. "I believe in it just fine, I just don't have an interest in finding mine. I rather look this good forever," he answers, attempting to lighten up the situation.

He waits for Ian to reply but the redhead stays silent so Mickey decides to speak up. "How old are you?"

Age is impossible to determine physically for people without a soulmate. Ian had met people that were in their 70s and looked 18. 

"I'm 24," Ian answers. "You?"

"52," Mickey replies. Ian swears his jaw hits the floor.

Mickey breaks out into a hysterical laugh at the other man's reaction. "I'm just fucking with you man," he stands up to retrieve his wallet. He throws his ID on the table for Ian to grab.

"You're 26, you dick," Ian says, throwing Mickey's ID at him, the older man dodges it and sticks his tongue out in the hottest way ever. "Not my fault you're naive."

They spend the rest of the day apart. Ian stays at home doing laundry since all his scrubs are dirty, and Mickey goes out to the gym.

After calling his siblings to check in, Ian falls asleep around 11pm. Loud banging on the door causes him to jolt awake. He opens his bedroom door to see Mickey peeking out of his door.

He groans loudly. "Who the fuck can that be?"

"It's fine, I'll take care of it," Ian tells him, the other man nods and returns back to bed.

Ian opens the door and finds Logan leaning on the frame. He pushes his way inside. He's drunk and belligerent. 

He starts shouting and making a scene, loud enough for everyone in the building to hear. Ian tries his best to diffuse the situation but fails. He tries to physically remove the man but has no luck.

"Oh, look. Seems like you haven't aged a day, baby. Guess you haven't found that soulmate of yours after all," he yells drunkenly. "I hate to break it to you Ian, but some people never find their soulmate, and you're probably no different," he tells Ian. Poking him in the chest with his index finger.

Ian hears a door open behind him and Mickey comes into the living room fuming.

"Who the fuck is -" Logan is interrupted by the kick to the groin Mickey lands. The older man swings the door wide open and grabs Logan by the collar of his shirt and belt and tosses him out, slamming the door behind him.

Mickey stands in front of Ian, they're both shirtless in nothing but boxers. "You okay?" he asks the redhead.

"Yeah man, I'm fine. Thanks."

Mickey nods and pats Ian on the shoulder before he returns to his room.

They don't talk about the incident the next morning... or ever again.

\-----

Another week passes. Ian and Mickey have breakfast on the weekends and talk about their week at work. They don't really hang out, they kind of just co-exist together.

One night Mickey brings someone home. Ian is laying down on the sofa watching a movie when Mickey and a very attractive male stumble through the door. It is clear that they both have been drinking.

The pair make their way to Mickey’s room and the door shuts loudly with a bang. Ian doesn’t understand it right away. It isn't until he hears the bed rocking and muffled moans that he pieces it together.

Mickey has never spoken about his intimate life, so Ian naturally assumed he was straight, even though Ian had hoped otherwise.

He doesn't understand the tight feeling in his chest. It feels as if someone is trying to strangle his heart.

Ian quickly grabs his jacket and bolts out the door with no destination in mind. He opts for taking a walk around the park. He wonders why he is so bothered by the sight of Mickey being with someone else. Mickey isn't his, he shouldn't care.

Except Ian does care, and maybe deep inside he kind of does wish Mickey was his.

Shit. He knows he shouldn't have feelings for the man.

Ian remembers that his ultimate goal is to find his soulmate, and anything with Mickey would just hold him back from that so he decides that the best decision is to ignore any feelings towards the brunet. They don't matter anyway, they won't compare to how he will feel towards his soulmate.

\----

The next morning Ian slips in his composure. Whoever Mickey had been with the night before, was long gone by the time Ian made it back home. 

Ian is in the kitchen making breakfast when Mickey sits down at the table, reeking of sex. "Morning," he grumbles out.

"Ah, he's alive," Ian says bitterly.

Mickey does not miss a beat in his tone. "The fuck's that supposed to mean?" he asks, truly confused.

"I'm just saying, you and your friend could have been a little more considerate last night," he says to Mickey. "Also, he comes like a little bitch."

Ian wasn't sure what possesses him to say that, but it was too late to take it back. He hadn't even been in the apartment to know.

Mickey stares at Ian in disbelief. His concern only lasts a moment before he chuckles. "My bad, man. I didn't think we were keeping you up. I also thought I heard you leave,"

"You know I work nights," Ian says, exasperated.

Mickey grins in a cocky manner. "Yesterday was Friday, you don't work weekends Gallagher," Mickey points out.

Ian's face falls. 

Mickey runs his finger over his bottom lip and stares at Ian. His blue eyes blazing. "You jealous or something Gallagher?" Mickey teases.

Ian turns around to hide the blush creeping up on his face. "Of course not, I don't have a care in the world about who you fuck," he replies. 

He finishes the scrambled eggs and sets a plate in front of Mickey, who stares at him with a bemused expression.

Even as Ian eats, he can feel Mickey staring at him. "What?" he asks angrily. "Eat your breakfast, Mick."

Mickey sighs heavily and dives into the plate in front of him.

\------

Ian doesn't bring up the situation again, and neither does Mickey. Mickey also doesn't bring another guy home, instead he's gone most nights and they stop spending their weekends together. It hurts Ian, but he knows it's for the best. To keep himself entertained, he starts dating. He finds himself comparing each guy to Mickey, though he tells himself something else is wrong with them. The sex he has is mediocre and unfulfilling. 

He eventually calls his best friend Mandy. She tells him to stop being an idiot and fuck his roommate's brains out. Ian laughs but knows that's not a realistic solution. Instead, he continues dating in the hopes of finding someone. Someone who could take his mind off Mickey.

\-----

Mickey comes home from work one day around 7pm. He shrugs off his jacket and strips down, taking off his dirty coveralls from work.

He goes into the kitchen to grab a glass of water when he notices Ian's keys are on the table. He raises a curious eyebrow and stares down at his watch to check the time. It is almost 7:15pm, Ian should have left to the hospital an hour ago.

Mickey makes his way to Ian's room. He knocks on the door but no one answers. He opens it lightly, the room is pitch black. The small light that comes in from the hall allows Mickey to see a figure under the sheets.

"Ian?" Mickey asks, making his way inside.

Ian only groans in response.

Turning on the lamp, Mickey sits down on the corner of the bed. "Hey man, you okay?" Ian only shakes his head in response.

Mickey thinks Ian looks like a fragile little boy. It breaks his heart a bit. He reaches out and touches the back of his hand to Ian's forehead. "Jesus, Ian. You're heating up."

Ian smiles at him weakly. "I know, hopefully it'll break soon. I'll be alright. I see this all the time," he explains.

Mickey scoffs lightly. Even when he feels like shit, Ian is still focused on making sure Mickey is reassured.

Against Ian's wishes, Mickey stays with him the entire time. He makes sure Ian drinks plenty of fluids and places frozen ice packs around him.

Ian feels like hell, and looks it too. It's only Mickey's presence that gives him strength.

In the morning, Ian still isn't better. Mickey calls out of work and doesn't leave his side.

As Ian dives in and out of sleep, Mickey sits on the bed with him, reading a book and keeping a close eye on him. He notices how many freckles are on the redhead's face. He could have sworn there were more when they had first met. He also notes the red chest hair that sticks out from his tank top.

Mickey continues to care for Ian, makes him small meals, and even reads to Ian to relief his discomfort.

After 36 hours, Ian's fever finally breaks.

Relief washes over Mickey when he wakes to the ginger looking out the window. The sun is starting to rise, and Ian looks like he is on fire, it almost hurts Mickey to look at him. He looks breath-taking.

"Mornin'" Mickey says, groggily, rubbing at his eyes.

"Morning Mick," Ian replies softly. He turns around to face Mickey. He's shirtless because his tank top had been drenched in his sweat. He sits against the window sill and stares at Mickey.

"I'm glad you're feeling better man. You had me worried for a moment," Mickey confesses.

Ian gives him a small, kind smile. "Thank you. You really didn't have to stay with me... but I'm glad you did." Ian crosses his arms, his chest bulging out a bit.

"Yeah I did, tough guy," Mickey counters.

"Tough guy?" Ian asks, chuckling.

"Yeah, tough guy. Look at the way you're sitting. Trying to intimidate me with your bulging chest," Mickey jokes. "That small patch of chest hair doesn't scare me Gallagher, I know you're a damn marshmallow," he explains, a huge smile on his face.

Ian is smiling back until he processes what Mickey has said. "Chest hair?" he asks the brunet. Mickey stares at him like he's missing the obvious and just points to the other man's chest.

Ian looks down and sure enough, there's red hairs across his chest. His heart is beating so fast he's afraid it'll explode.

"Mick," Ian says slowly. "Have you noticed anything different in you lately?"

Mickey stares at Ian like he's talking a different language. "What are you going on about Gallagher?"

"Have you bought bigger clothes or shoes?"

Mickey nods. "Yeah, my shirts don't fit me anymore. The gym must be working," he grins.

Ian smiles. He smiles so big that it's borderline blinding. "Sorry Mick, I don't think the gym is the reason for that," he says softly.

Mickey furrows his eyebrows in confusion, clearly not keeping up.

"I didn't have chest hair before my fever," he begins to explain. "I also went up a size in scrub pants, probably because I've gotten taller."

It takes Mickey a few moments, but once he understands, it hits him like a god damn train. "Holy shit," Mickey says, eyes wide. "That's why you have less freckles," he explains.

Ian walks to the mirror and stares at himself. His freckles are now faded and barely visible, there's a lot less of them now too.

Mickey brings a hand to his mouth, still processing the situation. "That means..."

The redhead turns around, his eyes lock on Mickey like they did that first time. Green eyes on blue ones. "That means that we're soulmates," Ian finishes for him. He looks at Mickey in pure admiration. His soulmate had been right next to him the entire time.

The brunet is now standing in front of Ian. They don't say a word to one another, they just stare into each other's eyes, silently communicating.

Ian struggles internally with what he wants to do, until Mickey smiles at him. It's a smile that assures him that everything will be okay. Ian takes it as his cue. He leans down and presses his lips gently against Mickey's. The kiss is hypnotizing and addicting, Ian's sure that kissing Mickey is his newest addiction.

When they break away, they lean their foreheads against each other's.

Mickey's sky-blue eyes stare up at Ian.

"We're going to grow old together," Mickey whispers.

Ian's eyes tear up a bit, the moment is more perfect than any of the stories he has heard growing up.

"Don't worry, Mick. I promise to love you even when you're an old and wrinkly old man," he jokes.

Mickey laughs, a sweet melody that Ian is attuned to. His whole body responds to it.

"Sorry to ruin your eternal youth," Ian tells him.

"Don't worry firecrotch, a lifetime of you making me breakfast will make up for it," he replies, chuckling.

Ian shakes his head lightly, in mock disapproval. "You are such a dick."

Mickey shrugs before pulling Ian down once more and locking their lips together. They have all the time in the world now.


End file.
